After my apology to Kozumaru-san, I woke up feeling a strange sense of peace.

Not relief exactly—I knew things were far from fully mended—but lighter, like I wasn’t carrying the same burden of guilt that had weighed me down for weeks.

Kento had been right: I’d apologized, and now it was time to prove I could change.

But how did I even go about proving something like that?

Sitting up in bed, I stretched out my stiff muscles and groaned at the discomfort.

My body had been feeling sluggish lately, a symptom of too much stress and too little physical activity.

Between de-hospitalization, Shima-Kai drama, and the mental exhaustion from trying to fix things with Kozumaru-san, I hadn’t had much energy for anything else.

And it showed.

My shoulders were tight, my back ached, and the last time I’d gone for a run was about a week ago.

That’s when it hit me.

Maybe this was the next step—taking care of myself.

Not just mentally, but physically.

I’d let my body fall into the same disrepair as my relationships, and if I wanted to show Kozumaru-san, and everyone else for that matter, that I was serious about change, I needed to start by fixing my own foundation.

I didn’t have to do it alone, though.

I knew exactly who to call for help.

"Kento, I need a favor"

I said, pacing around my living room as I watched him drink a glass of water.

Kento cleared his throat and then said with his usual casual tone tinged with curiosity.

"What’s up? Need more backup with Kozumaru-san’s plants? I thought you guys were on good terms now."

I chuckled.

"No, it’s not about the plants. Or Kozumaru-san, actually. It’s about me."

He looked at me.

"Oh? You in some kind of trouble?"

He asked, half-joking.

"If it's about Nagasuki we have almost tracked him down, you don't have to worry."

"No, it's not that."

I admitted, glancing at myself in the hallway mirror. My reflection stared back, looking more worn out than I’d realized.

"I’ve been feeling… off. Physically. My body’s all messed up. After the incident i lost some weight and i started to eat better but i still feel like a total wreck. I want to change that, but I have no idea where to start."

Kento let out a thoughtful hum.

"You want to start working out, huh? Dude, you’ve come to the right place. You know I’ve got your back."

I smiled, feeling a wave of relief.

"Thanks, man. I knew you’d have some tips."

"Tips? Bro, I’ll do you one better. I’ll make you the most handsome man in all the neighborhood. Trust me, you’ll be feeling like a new man by the time we’re done."

I raised an eyebrow, both skeptical and intrigued.

"I'm not trying to impress the neghbors Kento... Besides are you sure about that? I've never worked out. Don’t go easy on me just because I’m a fatty boy."

Kento laughed.

"Oh, I won’t. You’ll wish you never asked me. But you’ll thank me later. Trust the process."

"Alright, alright. Tell me when you’re ready. I start stretching or something."

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"Stretching’s good"

Kento said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"I’ll take something in the car and I'll come back. Get ready to sweat, man."

As Kento got out in the parking lot I see him pulling out something from his car.

He got back with a gym bag slung over his shoulder and a smug grin on his face.

He looked ready for action.

Meanwhile, I was still in my old gym shorts and a faded T-shirt that I hadn’t worn since—well, I couldn’t even remember.

"Let’s do this"

He said, clapping his hands together as soon as he stepped into my apartment.

"You ready?"

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and dread.

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

"Good"

Kento said, dropping his bag onto the couch.

"First things first—let’s get some space in here. Clear out this living room so we’ve got room to move."

We spent the next few minutes pushing furniture out of the way, creating a decent-sized area in the center of the apartment.

My apartment wasn’t huge, but it was enough for a basic workout.

Once we had enough space, Kento turned to me with a serious expression.

"Alright, we’ll start simple. Bodyweight exercises to ease you back in. No need to rush into anything too crazy. We’re going to work on your core, your endurance, and your strength, all in one go."

I nodded, trying to focus.

"Sounds good."

"First up, let’s warm up with some dynamic stretching. We need to loosen up those stiff muscles of yours before we do anything else."

Kento led me through a series of stretches, from arm circles and torso twists to lunges and high knees.

As we moved, I could feel my body slowly waking up, the tightness in my back and shoulders starting to ease. It felt good—really good, actually.

After about ten minutes of warming up, Kento clapped his hands again, signaling that it was time to move on.

"Alright, warm-up’s done. Now for the real stuff"

He said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"We’re gonna start with push-ups, then move into squats, followed by planks. We’ll cycle through those three for a few rounds. Ready?"

I nodded, dropping down to the floor for the push-ups.

My arms shook as I lowered myself, but I managed to push back up without collapsing.

Kento counted out loud as I struggled through the reps, his voice encouraging but firm.

"Come on, Keisuke, you’ve got this. Don’t stop. Push through!"

By the time I reached the tenth push-up, my arms felt like jelly, and I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Kento grinned down at me.

"Not bad for your first set. But we’re not done yet. Up on your feet. Squats, next."

I groaned but obeyed, getting up and bracing myself for the squats.

Kento demonstrated the proper form, and I did my best to follow his lead, lowering myself down into a deep squat before pushing back up.

My legs burned after just a few reps, but I kept going, determined not to quit.

"Keep your weight on your heels"

Kento instructed, watching my form closely.

"And don’t let your knees cave in. You’re doing great, just a few more."

I pushed through the last few reps, my thighs screaming in protest. When we finished the set, Kento gave me a nod of approval.

"Nice. Now, let’s hit the floor for planks. We’re gonna hold it for thirty seconds."

I groaned again, but there was no backing out now.

I got down onto my forearms, bracing myself for the plank.

Kento started the timer, and I focused on keeping my body straight, my core tight. It was brutal.

After just ten seconds, I was trembling, my abs on fire.

"Don’t drop"

Kento urged, watching me closely.

"You’ve got this. Just a little longer."

By the time we hit thirty seconds, I was shaking all over, but I held on until Kento finally called time.

"Good job, man"

He said, offering me a hand as I collapsed onto the floor, panting.

"That was tough, but you pushed through. That’s what matters."

I nodded, too exhausted to speak.

My whole body felt like it had been through a meat grinder, but there was something oddly satisfying about the pain. It felt like progress—like I was doing something right for once.

"We’ll do five more rounds of that"

Kento said, and I groaned in protest.

"Five more?! I don’t know if I can even stand up!"

I muttered, still sprawled out on the floor.

Kento laughed, shaking his head.

"Oh, you’ll stand up. And you’ll get through it. One step at a time, man. You said you wanted to change, right? This is part of the process."

He was right.

I did want to change.

I wanted to be better, for myself and for the people around me

. That meant pushing through, even when it hurt.

Especially when it hurt.

With a groan, I pulled myself up off the floor, ready for round two.

The next four rounds were brutal, but I pushed through, fueled by sheer determination and Kento’s relentless encouragement.

By the time we finished, I was drenched in sweat, my muscles screaming in protest, but I felt… good.

No I'm joking.

I felt like a dirty rag.

Kento handed me a towel and a bottle of water, his grin wide and proud.

"You did good today, Keisuke. That wasn’t easy, but you pushed through. Keep this up, and you’ll be feeling like a new man in no time."

I took the water gratefully, chugging half the bottle before wiping the sweat from my face.

"Thanks, man"

I said, my voice hoarse from the effort.

"I didn’t think I’d make it through that. But you’re right. I feel… better."

Kento clapped me on the back, his expression serious for a moment.

"That’s the thing about working out. It’s not just about getting stronger physically. It’s about proving to yourself that you can push through the hard stuff. That you’ve got the strength to keep going, even when it feels impossible."

I nodded, letting his words sink in.

He was right.

This wasn’t just about getting back into shape.

It was about rebuilding myself from the ground up—proving to myself that I could change, that I could be better.

As we cleaned up the living room and put the furniture back in place, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

This was just the beginning, but it was a start. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on the right path.

The most important thing?

I found a friend.

I, a former recluse, have found a friend.

When Kento finally left to put back the things in the car, I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted but satisfied.

My muscles ached, my body was sore, but my mind was clearer than it had been in weeks.

I wasn’t just apologizing anymore.

I was changing—slowly, painfully, but surely.

And this was just the beginning.